The Senate gave its final nod on a proposed measure that Senator Win Gatchalian sponsored: the ‘National Education Support Personnel Day Act,’ which seeks to declare May 16 of every year as a special working holiday.

Under the proposed measure, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will lead the preparations and implementation of the annual program of activities for the National Education Support Personnel Day observance. Education Support Personnel refers to persons employed in teaching-related or non-teaching positions, including teaching assistants, registrars, librarians, doctors, nurses, guidance counselors, psychologists, and clerks, among others.  

There are over 107,000 non-teaching staff in the DepEd. The Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) also reported that there are more than 63,000 support personnel across state universities and colleges.

Gatchalian emphasized that the proposed measure aligns with the celebration of the “World Education Support Personnel Day,” which has been celebrated globally since 2018. Among the countries that celebrate the occasion are Australia, Canada, Malta, South Africa, and the United States.

“Nais nating ipadama sa ating mga education support personnel na mahalaga ang kanilang papel sa paghahatid ng dekalidad na edukasyon at sa pagtataguyod sa kapakanan ng ating mga mag-aaral. Ang pagdiriwang ng National Education Support Personnel Day ay magbibigay ng pagkilala para sa kanilang dedikasyon,” said Gatchalian, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

Gatchalian added that the proposed measure’s timeliness aligns with the removal of non-teaching tasks from teachers under DepEd Order No. 2 series of 2024, which emphasizes the important role of support staff in the smooth operation of schools.